Improvement in casing-cutters for removing casings from artesian wells



P. H. LAWRENCE 8L J. H. LUTHER; Improvement in Casing Cutters for Removing Casings from Artesian Wells.

N0. 126,403, Patented May 7,1872.

' INVENTOR,$

WITNESSES. WM t fizz 47JZJMWM 3 (5 144 UNITED STATES PATENT @rrron.

PERLEY H. LAVVRENGE AND JAMES H. LUTHER, OF PETROLEUM CENTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN CASING-CUTTERS FOR REMOVING CASINGS FROM ARTESIAN WELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,403, dated May 7, 1572.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PERLEY H. LAW- RENCE and JAMES H. LUTHER, of Petroleum Center, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Casing-Cutter for Removing Casings from Artesian Wells; and the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part ot'this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents an external view of our improved casing-cutter. Fig. 2 is avertical section through the same, showing the construction and interior arrangement of the parts operating on the casin Fi 3 shows an end view of the ratchet, square-hole socket, and female-screw socket, for connecting with the rod, to extend to the top of the well to operate the cutters. Fig. 4 shows a horizontal cross-section throughthe rack, cutter-holders, and the pinion that operates the same. Fig. 5 is a view of the tool with both ends broken off, and a broken-out section, showing the ratchet and spring dog, for holding out the cutters for lifting the casin g by them. Fig. 6 shows the stem-pinion for working the rack cutter holders, detached.

The object and nature of our invention is to cut the casings in artesian wells, and remove or draw out the sections cut with the same tool and fixtures with which the cutting-off is done, thus saving the time and labor of taking out the cutting-tool and putting in the grapplingtools and fastening them in the sections out, which is a very difficult matter to perform at the depth of several hundred feet. Ourinvention consists in the combination of the internal mechanism, whereby the cutters are forced out to cut the casin g, and there held firmly to draw the cut section and remove it from the well, in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the drawing, and the letters thereon, A is the metal block or head, provided with a screwsocket, a a, in the upper end,

into which the pipe B is secured for turning the head to cut the casin g C, and also to lift the section 0 after it is out, and remove it from the well. The socket a a also receives the ratchet-key or square-hole socket-plug D, it having a female screw-thread in its upper end to receive a tube or rod, E, which extends inside of the pipe B to the top of the well, to operate the cutters e e, which are circular revolving chisel-edges fitted into the sliding stocks or bars (I (I, and secured by the strong pivots c 0. The sliding stocks d d are made with cogs ff facing each other, leaving an elongated space, g, between them of sufficient size to admit the stem-pinion F, by which means the cutters c e are forced out to cut the casing C, and are held out firmly under the edge out by the dog-pin h on the ratchet i i, which is made on the lower end of the plug-key or socket D. The dog I: is fitted in a hole drilled in one side of the bottom of the recess a a, and is operated by a spiral spring, j, under its lower end. The casing being severed, and the cutters held out, the lifting power is applied to the pipe B, and the cut section 0 of the casing is started up, if sufficiently loose, and taken out; but if it is found on trial that the casing is too firmly packed in by the sediment that surrounds it, and the pipe B is liable to be severed by the lifting on the tool, the sliding stocks (1 d are drawn in, so as to relieve the cutters e c from the casing G by lifting on the rod E sufficient to raise the socket 1) off the dog h and turn the pinion-stem F backward, when the whole head and cutters can be drawn up to any desired point in the casing, and the before-described process repeated; and so on in like manner until a section can be removed, after which the tool is let down to the out next below, and the lifting tried, and the process of lifting and cutting repeated section after section, until the casing is all removed, thus saving in abandoned oitwells from six hundred to one thousand dollars worth of the iron casing, at the cost of only a few dollars.

The advantages our improvements are, that the apparatus above described combine both the cutting and grappling devices in one mechanism, and are operated as such, the cutters being in position to lift on the section of the casing after it is severed from the portion remainin g below it, thereby efl'ectin g a great saving of time in changing tools and, moreover, the hold taken on the cut section of casing is much more cfiicient than with the grapples in use.

\Vlmt we ehiim is- 1. The sliding rnekbars d (I, the rolling cutters e 1', and the stenrpinion F for operating the some, in combination with the key-socket D, ratchet i i, and (log h, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In combination with the above, we claim the rod E, pipe B, and stock A, to be operated at; any required depth from the top of the well, as specified.

In testimony whereof we jointly and sew erally subscribe our names.

PERLEY H. LAWRENCE. JAMES H. LUTHER. \Vitn esses:

J. B. WOODRUFF, A. B. ERGOOD. 

